Adjustable pillow for chairs



NOV. 21, 1933. Q w w n- 1,935,685

ADJUSTABLE PILLOW FOR CHAIRS Filed March 20, 1950 pg ATTORNEY Patented Nov.,21, 1933 PAT NT ()FFICE ADJUSTABLE PILLOW FOR CHAIRS ClarenceWatson White, North Bennington, Vt, assigncr to H. C. White Company, North Bennington, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Application March 20, 1930. Serial No. 437,362

7 Claims. (Cl. 155-477) My present invention relates to an adjustable pillow or cushion for reclining and other chairs or similar pieces of furniture. The chair with which it is particularly serviceable is one having I a flexible surface forming a back and seat or reclining support of canvas or other fabric, the same being upheld in a suitable extension or folding frame; and on this flexible materialthe pillow or cushion is mounted by means of friction slides or sliding spring clips which enable the pillow to be manipulated into the desired position or semi-automatically shifted by the back or body of the user into the most convenient position.

The invention therefore may be said to consist essentially in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, and in numerous details and peculiarities of the same, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my 20 invention: A

Figure 1 is atop planview of aportion ofa reclining chair and its flexible support provided with my improved pillow device. I V

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Figure 3 is an enlarged and reversed sectional view on the line 3, 3, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the spring clips. Figure 5 is a similar perspective view of a modified form of clip in one piece."

Like characters of reference denote like parts inall the different figures of the drawing.

I have illustrateda portion of the frame of an ordinary reclining chair, of which 2,2, denote the side rails, connected by horizontalrods or bars 3, with a flexible canvas or fabric sheet attached to the upper rod 3, and to other rods or parts (not shown) and situated between the rails 2, 2, so as to serve as the' back and bottom of the chair, being extended to permit a person to re cline comfortably thereon, and being capable of adjustment to different angles. Said chair usually is capable of being folded or extended to occupy several different positions, but to explain the present invention it is not necessary to show these, or to outline all the parts; the chief features being the flexible body, the pillow, and the spring clips.

The flexible canvas surface usually has both parallel longitudinal edges, and always has one 5 of them, provided with a double hem 11. This may be made by folding the edges over twice (or more times) and securing them in a thick solid edge by stitching. This double or thickened hem 11 is placed or made on both edges to obtain the 1 best results.

4 denotes a pillow of proper size and thickness, and of a propercushioning character, the same having a length equal to or longer than the width of the flexible back 1, and with its ends thick and strong and solid at 13, 13. It may be suitably upholstered, and stuffed with hard or soft contents. r

111 order to connect the ends of pillow 4 to the edges of fabric 1 to permit movab ility and adjustability of the pillow over the surface of fabric 1, or to permit the ends of the pillow to be changed in position relatively to each other and to the canvas 1, 'I use friction devices or clips attached permanently to the pillow and engaging the hems 11 more or less tightly, but so as to slide thereon. The construction of one of these clips is shown in Figure 4. It consists of two plates 5, 5, placed face to face and fastened together at one edge so as to have a spring effect at the other edge. Each plate 5 has a flat section 9 provided with perforations 10, an intermediate section in which is a depression or groove 6 and another fiat section 7 with a rounded or flaring edge 8. The plates 5 are placed against each other so that the grooves therein together provide a channel or depression 6 that receives the hem or en arged edge 11 of fabric 1. The perforated sections 9 are fastened tightly together and to the pillow ends 13 by suitable means such as threads or, cords 12 sewed tightly through these members. Other fastening means may be employed. The flaring edges 8 of the clips are therefore left in close contact but are sufiicient- 1y elastic to receive between them and their'flaring niouth'and hold tightly with frictional contact edges 11 of the canvas 1. This engagement of the clips with the canvas ,1 is such that the clips can be adjusted along the edges 11, and the desiredposition of the pillow attained.

The connection of the spring clips with the flexible back 1 depends entirely on the friction between the two plates. The hem 11 on each edge of member 1 fits into the groove or depression 6. Hence this connection ofthe hem with the grooved holder acts as a guide to a pillow when sliding up and down in its adjustment and prevents it from being pulled off on one side, which it might otherwise do unless handled very carefully. The size of this groove or opening 6 may vary greatly, being larger or smaller, and it may be dispensed with entirely, leaving the plate 5 entirely free and smooth, in which case the friction alone between the plates and the clips would be depended on, without any position- 110 ing grooves, but the effect is generally better if grooves are employed.

It will be noted that the person recumbent on the chair may adjust the pillow up and down and by easy side to side movements of the head so as to make the pillow fit the body more com fortably, as the frictional clips permit this without the necessity of touching the pillow with the hands, the movement of the pillow under these conditions being so easy as to be almost auto matic or semi-automatic.

A modified form of clip is shown in Figure 5. Here the clip 5 consists of one piece folded into two parallel plates as shown. In this case it would probably be preferable or necessary to have the bended edge made as a loop 9 'to prevent the breaking of the stiff metal which would occur if the hard metal is folded down in a sharp edge.

Also, a person occupying the chair may reach both hands over his shoulders, grasp the clips and move the pillow up or down to desired position. Owing tothe guiding and holding means of the present invention this may be accomplished easily and safely without visual inspec-' tion and without danger of the pillow becoming removed from the flexible back. 7

What I claim, is:

1. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with. a supporting frame and a flexible support attached substantially to the ends of the supporting frame and forming a back and seat, said flexible support having parallel edges, of a pillow and devices for adjustably connecting it in frictional engagement with the parallel edges of the flexible support at different points along the lengths of said edges, each of said devices including a pair of opposed cooperating surfaces permanently spring-urged towards each other into slidable fabric-gripping engagement with said edges.

2. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame and a flexible support attached substantially at its ends to said supporting frame and forming a back and seat, said flexible support having parallel edges, of a pillow having secured thereto frictional fabric-gripping devices for adjustably connecting it to the parallel edges of the flexible support at different opposite points along the lengths of said edges, each of said devices comprising a pair of cooperating opposed members resisting separation and receiving between them one of said edges. I

3. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame and a flexible support attached substantially at its ends to said supporting frame and forming a back and seat, said flexible support having parallel edges, of a pillow, and frictional means for adjustably connecting it to the parallel edges of the flexible support at different points along the length of said edges, said frictional means consisting of frictional fabric-gripping clips, having parallel faces that receive and grip frictionally and slidably the edges of said flexible back so as to permit the pillow to be movable on said back.

4. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame and a flexible support attached substantially at its ends to said supporting frame and forming a back and seat, said flexible support having parallel edges, of a pillow superposed on the flexible support, and friction clips attached to the ends of the pillow and engaging the parallel edges of the flexible back, said clips each consisting of a pair of plates secured together near adjacent edges and having a spring grip frictionally and yieldingly engaging'one of the edges of said back, and slidable along said edge while maintaining a spring grip thereon.

- 5. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame and a flexible support attached substantially at its ends to said supporting frame and forming a back and seat, said flexible support having parallel edges formed with .a hem, of a pillow superposed. on the flexible support, and friction clips attached to the ends of the pillow and engaging the parallel 190 edges of the flexible back, said clips consisting of a pair of plateshaving an intermediate groove receiving the hemmed edge of the flexible back, said platesbeing secured together near one edge so that they may have a yielding contact at the opposite edge to receive the adjacent edge of the flexible back. 7 v 6. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame and a flexible fabric support attached to said supporting frame and forming the back of a seat, said flexible fabric support having substantially parallel edges, of a pillow relatively movable on said fabric support and pillow guiding fabric gripping devices attached to said pillow and in slidable frictional gripping engagement with opposite faces of said fabric support along said substantially parallel edges.-

7. In reclining furniture of the class described, the combination with a supporting frame and a 12:) flexible fabric support attached to said supporting frame and forming the back of a. seat, said flexible fabric Support having substantially parallel edges, of a pillow relatively movable on said fabric support and pillow guiding devices at tached to'said pillow and in slidable frictional gripping engagement with opposite faces of said fabric support along said substantially parallel edges, each of said pillow guiding devices comprising a pair of cooperating members gripping the fabric-support edges by spring tension constantly tending to close said members one upon the other, said devices being manually simultaneously movable in the same direction on said fabric support, and, on such movement, sliding 335 said pillow on said fabric support in that direction.

CLARENCE WATSON WHITE. 

